PROS grows: Big data, big money, big size

PROS Holdings Inc. (NYSE: PRO) is rapidly expanding in Houston, making its presence known in a market that is not often associated with large-scale software companies.

In fact, with BMC Software Inc. (Nasdaq: BMC) poised to go private in its buyout, PROS will soon become Houston’s largest publicly traded software company, according to the HBJ’s list of software companies.

Julie Rich, chief people officer for PROS, told me that in 2013, the big data software company plans to hire 175 new people, the bulk of which will be in Houston. Since January, the company has already hired 100 of these employees.

To put that number in perspective, PROS recorded having 739 people at the end of the first quarter, including about 425 in Houston. Also, the company hired 157 new employees last year and 111 the year before that.

It also means an ever-expanding office — Rich said that PROS has consistently been adding new space at its headquarters in Midtown.

Furthermore, Rich herself is busy recruiting employees from across the U.S. — a lot of software engineers, project managers and sales people.

“Recruiting is always a challenge,” Rich said. “Our team has been creative in new social media techniques (for recruiting). We use LinkedIn heavily, as well as Twitter, Facebook and our website to introduce people to Pros.”

However, PROS wants to be more than a funnel for new workers pumping out new big data analytics software to serve enterprises. Rich explained the company strives to create a culture of creativity and diversity.

Also, it doesn’t hurt that the company is mere inches away from a 52-week high on the stock market. During Friday afternoon trading, PROS shares were trading at $30.09, and its 52-week high is $30.12.